West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-05-13
PICKETT'S CHARGE.
Col. w. NJ. Owen, in the United Service
Magazine.

Col. w. NJ. Owen, in the United Service
Magazine.
Longstreet had fought up to EN-
mitsburg turnpike, and the fields
were strewn with the dead of both
armies. Pickett's division had just
arrived from Chambersburg, where
it had been left to destroy a railroad,
and was now in line. A strange
silence prevailed in both armies.
The Federals occupied the crest of
Cemetery Hill and Little Round
Top, and the officers upon each line
of battle looked at each other across
the intervening space through their
field glasses. We were with the ar
tillery officers, sitting upon our
horses, in little oak grove near the
peach orchard, awaiting the opening
of the fray, when courier rode up
and handed Colonel Walton a dis
patch. 1t was from General Long
street, requesting Colonel Walton to
come to him where he had establish
ed headquarters on the field. We
put our horses to gallop, and when
we reached the spot indicated met
there several division commanders
and General r. Z. Lee.
A plan of attack was being dis
cussed which was finally concluded
as follows: At given signal
which was to be the firing of two
guns by the Washington Artillery
at the peach orchard-all of the Con-
federate guns in position were to
open upon the enemy's position, to
prepare the way by battering them
for our infantry to advance to the
attack. The assaulting column was
to consist of Pickett's division, sup
ported on its left by Heth's division
of A. p. Hills corps, and upon its
right by Wilcox's division.
Returning to the position of the
Washington artillery, we all quietly
awaited the order to open the ball.
At l 80 p. m. a courier dashed up in
great haste, holding in his hand a
little slip of paper, torn evidently
from memorandum book, on which,
written in pencil and addressed to
Colonel Walton, was the following:
HEADQUARTERS, July 3, 1863.
COLONEL: Let the batteries open.
Order great care and precision in firing.
If the batteries at the peach orchard can
not be used against the point we intend
attacking, let them open on the enemy
on the rocky hill.
Most respectfully, J. LONGsrREET,
Lieutenant-General Commanding.
The order to fire the signal-guns
was Immediately communicated to
Major Eshleman, commanding the
Washington Artillery, and the re-
port of the first gun rang out upon
the still summer air. There was a
moments delay with the second gun,
friction primer having failed to
explode. 1t was but little space
of time, but 100000 men were listen
ing. Finally puff Of smoke was
seen at the peach orchard, then came |
a roar and fash, and 1873 pieces of
Confederate artillery opened upon
the enemy's position, and the deadly
work began with the noise of heavi-
est thunder echoing and re-echoing |
among the hills and valleys OF
Pennsylvania.
The Federal artillery, numbering
almost as many guns as the Confed-
crates, replied Immediately, and the
battle of the third of July had open
ed. Shot and shell tore through the |
air aud ploughed great burrows in
the fields, and crashed through bat
teries, tearing to pieces men and
horses. Lee, with the flower of the |
Southern army. flushed with the late
victories at Fredericksburg and
Charlottesville. looked on and
calmly awaited the dreadful shock.
For forty minutes the dredfnl din
continued, until the cannoneers, ex-
hausted with their work, and almost
fainting from the heat of that July |
day, being ordered to cease firing, |
slackened the fire, and finally hardly |
a gun was heard from either com
batants. Then-Pickett's brave |
observation-disclosures Of many battles
stood up and formed for the as
sault, their gallant commander rid
ing up and down their lines, talking
calmly to his officers and men. But
Longstreet could not bear to give |
the order TO throw these men across
the plain against the breast works
of the enemy, and when at last Pick
ett said: "Shall ! go forward, siry
Longstreet turned away his head.
Then Pickett proudly and impetu-
ously said, with the air OF an old
crusader, ''Sir, shall lead my divis-
ion forwordw
The loud orders from the officers
now rang out, Attention. atten-
tionr' and the brave fellows, rcaliz-
ing the hot work before them, could
be heard calling out to friends and
comrades a few files from them,
"Good-by, boys! good-byr' Sudden
ly the final order came from Pickett
himself, who. superbly mounted, and
his long hair waving under his KEPT,